Computerized multiplayer tournaments are well known in prior art. Generally, the players participate in a number of tournaments, each tournament involving one or more instances of a game in which players participate. Depending on the type of game, each instance may involve one or more hands or other wagering events.
For example, in a typical poker game, each player receives a set of cards. Players can either replace some of the cards or hold the cards they receive. The winner of the game is the player holding a set of cards having a predetermined combination of cards determined to be superior to the combinations of other players. There are many variations of poker games such as, by way of non-limiting example, variations in the number of cards used for the game, the number of cards dealt to each player, the rate at which cards are dealt, the rate and number of cards allowed to be changed during a hand, the time in the game when cards are revealed, as well as whether cards are revealed at all, and other variations.
The are also many variations of poker and other tournaments which may differ by criteria for a new tournament start and entry, criteria for starting and ending the tournament, tournament prize calculation and distribution and/or otherwise. The tournament may be scheduled or provided in accordance with a “Sit & Go” approach. Unlike a scheduled tournament, which begins at a set date and time, a “Sit & Go” tournament begins immediately when a number of people registered to the tournament fits a predefined number of participants. For example, a 10-player “Sit & Go” poker tournament will commence once 10 players take their seats at the poker table. “Sit & Go” tournaments are very popular with online gaming rooms, such as but not limited to poker rooms, as the tables fill up rather quickly and players can play these tournaments around the clock.
At the beginning of the tournament a player who registers to play is required to pay a buy-in amount and a fee which goes to the room, and is awarded, accordingly, a certain quantity of tournament chips. The paid buy-in is pooled together with the other players' buy-ins and becomes the prize pool. For example a $5+$0.5 tournament has a $5 buy-in (which means that a 10-player tournament will have a prize pool of $50) and a $0.50 tournament fee (the room will thus earn $5 from such a 10-player tournament).
The room can structure the prizes in many different ways, and the prize pool can be given only to the winner or divided (in different proportions) between the winner and some of the runners up. For example, in popular 10-player “Sit & Go” tournaments the top 3 finishers may be paid.
Computerized multiplayer tournament games may be implemented in various ways known in the art as disclosed, for example, in the following patents and patent applications:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,648 (Guinn, et al.) discloses an automated tournament gaming system comprising a central server computer operatively coupled to a plurality of gaming machines for automatically harnessing any of the gaming machines for automatically inciting and running a tournament where a group of players are participating for a period after which prizes are awarded to the winning tournament play participants. In addition, the system includes a host site computer operatively coupled to a plurality of the central servers at a variety of remote gaming sites for providing a multi-site progressive automated tournament gaming system. The multi-site system is integrated into the gaming system to increase the winnings, progressive amounts and the total buy-ins.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,908,390 (Nguen et al.) discloses a gaming system including a number of gaming units and a host computer operatively coupled to the gaming units, and configured to allow a gaming tournament to be conducted. Each of the gaming units may comprise a video display unit, a microphone, a camera, a speaker and a gaming unit controller. The gaming unit controller may be programmed to allow a person to select tournament play as a single or a group tournament player at a reserved or unreserved gaming unit, and to allow player data to be transmitted to the host computer. The host computer may include a host interface unit capable of receiving audio, visual and/or data input from a tournament host during the tournament, and a host computer controller capable of causing host data to be transmitted to the gaming units.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,362,862 (Schneier, et al.) discloses a method and a system for a distributed electronic tournament system in which many remotely located players participate in a tournament through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament. The method includes the steps of (a) uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device; (b) responding to payment of an entry fee by the player for allowing the player to participate in a tournament occurring within a fixed time window via an associated input/output device; (c) accessing a database to store in the database, player information that is generated as the player participates in the tournament, such information being available for use in a subsequent tournament, which is administered by said controller and in which the player participates; and (d) awarding the player a prize for achieving a pre-established performance level in the tournament. In another preferred embodiment, the method further includes the steps of determining whether the player has been qualified to advance to a subsequent game session, in which at least one player is eliminated from the previous game session; and permitting each player qualified to a subsequent game session to participate in that game session.
US Patent Application No. 2002/010025 (Kelly, et al.) discloses a system, method and article of manufacture for determining payment for participating in a network gaming tournament. A plurality of networked game apparatuses are provided for allowing games to be played by a plurality of players in a tournament. An indication of an outcome of at least one game played by each of the players is then received. Based on a sum of the outcomes of the games of all of the players, a total amount of prize credits or prizes is determined. Subsequently, a first portion of the total amount of prize credits or prizes is partitioned for payment for participation in the tournament, and a second portion of the total amount of prize credits or prizes is awarded to at least one winning player based on the outcome of the at least one game thereof.
US Patent Application No. 2005/173862 (Orenstein) discloses a poker tournament for exhibition to an audience, such as a TV audience, conducted by selecting a first number of poker players and conducting a round of poker. The round includes having the selected players play poker with a fixed stake until all but one of the players is eliminated. The round of poker is captured for exhibition, including determining and displaying to an audience the hidden cards of each player. Points are awarded to at least some of said players according to the order in which said players are eliminated. The round of play is repeated for a selected number of rounds with the same players, and a winner is selected according to the total number of points assigned to each player for the selected number of rounds.
US Patent application No. 2006/157934 (Yoseloff, et al.) discloses a method of playing a poker-type card game tournament at multiple sites to determine players in a final tournament. Each multiple site location plays at least a first round of a qualifying event, and an at least second round of advancing players may be used to further narrow the number of players. After playing a predetermined number of hands of the poker-type card game in the first round, at least some players that will advance to an at least second round are determined by the total nominal value or number of chips or tokens accumulated by each player after play of the round. At least one round at a site will determine which players are invited to attend a separate continuing tournament. At least some players are randomly selected for invitation to the separate continuing tournament to complete a field of players, competing in a series of rounds of play to narrow the field to an eventual winner, and awarding a prize to at least the winner.